Court invalidates financing for San Diego Convention Center expansion

Aug 5, 2014

On Aug. 1, the financing plan for the Phase III Expansion of the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) was ruled invalid by a state appeals court, which had been unanimously approved by the California Coastal Commission in October 2013.

Despite the ruling, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer remains committed to the expansion of the waterfront facility.

“The convention center expansion is critically important for our regional economy. It would create thousands of good jobs and ensure that we continue to attract large conventions like Comic-Con. We will be working with the City Attorney’s Office to review all options in moving forward,” said Mayor Faulconer.

Currently boasting 2.6 million square feet, the expansion plan calls for an additional 225,000 square feet of exhibit space, which would give San Diego the largest contiguous exhibit hall on the West Coast. In addition, the plan would add 101,000 square feet of new meeting space and a brand new 80,000 square foot ballroom.

SDCC has overcome past struggles with expanding its facility.

“While we are disappointed, our last expansion faced similar legal hurdles and we were ultimately successful in our effort,” stated Carol Wallace, president and CEO, San Diego Convention Center Corporation.

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation, a public benefit corporation that manages and operates SDCC, will continue to share future plans for financing the expansion project.

“It remains a top priority for our community to expand the convention center to accommodate events that have outgrown our current facility; create more space for additional events; and to ensure we remain a world-class meeting and convention destination,” said Joe Terzi, president and CEO, San Diego Tourism Authority. “Our team will be reaching out to our clients in the next week to answer any questions they may have about the court ruling.”